Dan Shak Leads Final 7 Players of Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em

The opening event of the 2021 U.S. Poker Open saw plenty of old and new faces make their way through the PokerGO Studio as the event drew 95 entrants for a total prize pool of $950,000 with a first-place prize of $218,000.

Dan Shak leads the final seven players into day 2, as Shak vaulted into the chip lead in the final 20 minutes of the day when he picked up pocket aces to eliminate Aram Zobian in eighth place on the final table bubble.

Joining Shak at the final table are Jake Daniels, Tim McDerrmott, Barry Hutter, Stephen Chidwick, Sergi Reixach, and Steve Zolotow.

Daniels, who held the chip lead for most of the afternoon and well into the evening, heads into the final table second in chips, followed closely by Zolotow.

Chidwick comes into the final table sitting sixth in chips after making the most of a two big blind stack nine-handed, doubling up on consecutive hands before eliminating Shannon Shorr in ninth place. Hutter will have work to do as he will start day 2 as the short stack.

Other players finishing in the money included Junichi Nakanowatari 14th, John Riordan in 13th, Sam Soverel in 12th, Bin Duan 11th, and Johan Guilbert in 10th.

Alex Foxen finished on the money bubble when his king-queen suited lost to the rivered straight of Chidwick. Other players to finish outside the money included Ali Imsirovic, Sean Perry, Daniel Negreanu, and Chris Brewer.

The final seven players will return to the PokerGO Studio on Friday, June 4, at 12 p.m. PT with the final table airing on PokerGO.com at 1 p.m. PT.

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